Dropout Information

Dropout prevention has been a priority for Texas going back to the 1980s. However, since 2003, Texas has been more proactive and aggressive in addressing issues related to dropout prevention, high school completion, and college and career readiness. These efforts have largely been the catalyst for Texas’ increasing success. View a timeline of the related legislative history for the state.

The longitudinal dropout rate for the 328,584 students in the class of 2013 is 6.6 percent. The graduation, continuation, or GED certification rate was 93.4 percent. The longitudinal rate tracks a cohort of students from grade 9 through graduation, as opposed to calculating the total number of dropouts in a given year.

The annual dropout rate for the 2,189,442 students who attended Grades 7-12 in Texas public schools during the 2012-13 school year is 1.6 percent.

Calculating Dropouts

Texas uses the National Governors Association (NGA) four-year, on-time graduation rate known as the NGA "Compact Rate," which emphasizes using actual student data over estimates. The NGA has produced three reports detailing the ongoing development and implementation of the "Compact Rate" (2010, 2009, 2005). This NGA policy brief on the "Compact Rate" draws from those reports and shows that Texas ranks 7th nationally among 26 states that were reported to use the "Compact Rate."

Dropout Prevention Strategy Plan

School districts and open-enrollment charter schools with high dropout rates, as identified by the commissioner, must submit a plan that identifies how they will use the compensatory education allotment and high school allotment for developing and implementing research-based strategies for dropout prevention. For more information about the plan, visit the District-Level Dropout Prevention Strategy Plans page.

Proven Dropout Recovery and Prevention Strategies

The
Texas Education Agency focuses state and federal resources on
identifying and replicating proven strategies for dropout prevention and
recovery. The agency implements proven strategies through
its dropout prevention and recovery programs.

Additional Information

The following links provide additional information about Texas dropout policy and prevention efforts.